Discord agrees to Brazil suspension, VPN downloads skyrocket
Users download VPNs to circumvent the ban.
The Discord logo on a smartphone screen. Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
- Discord blocked video calls and screen sharing in Brazil after ANPD ordered action following a teen girl’s death.
- ANPD says Discord lacks safeguards to reduce violence, self-harm, and risks to life on the platform.
- Brazilian users can still access messages, servers, voice channels, audio calls, and non-video Discord features.
- VPN sign-ups surged after the limits, while a proposed law could punish ban circumvention with prison and fines.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Discord is complying with an order to suspend certain features following a teen's death. Users are reportedly downloading VPNs en masse, but they might be in for a nasty surprise.
Following the death of a teen girl in Brazil, the nation’s data privacy watchdog ordered Discord to block certain features exploited by bad actors.
The platform announced its compliance with ANPD, stating that screen sharing and video calls will be “unavailable for Brazilian users starting now.”
Discord, among other platforms, was used in a “coordinated sadistic harm campaign” against a teenage girl, which resulted in her death.
“We work every day to keep these actors off our platform and to make Discord safer for teens. We have been and continue to collaborate with law enforcement in this matter,” the platform said.
While screen sharing and video calls have been blocked for Brazilian users, a range of other features remain.
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What features can Discord users in Brazil still use?
Discord has said that the order is “focused on video functionality,” which means users still have access to:
- Direct messages (DMs) and group chats
- Small and large servers
- Voice channels and audio-only calls
- All other Discord features that don’t require video or screen sharing
The platform is “still there” for its Brazilian user base, and is working hard to restore its services in accordance with Brazil’s previous demands.
ANPD ordered Discord to suspend certain features due to its ability to facilitate violent crimes over the years.
The watchdog has previously said that Discord lacks the appropriate features to mitigate violence, self-harm, and risks to life on its platform.
Discord also doesn’t have real-time access to Go Live video streams, which means it can’t moderate calls or analyze content, which is vital in detecting violations, according to ANPD.
VPN downloads spike in Brazil
While Discord has blocked its features, users aren’t ready to give up their video calls or stop sharing their screens.
It seems that users in Brazil have rushed to VPN providers, as Proton VPN reported a massive spike in downloads.
Sign-ups for Proton VPN apparently surged by 800% overnight, according to Proton VPN's general manager, David Peterson.
“Just like the X blockade in 2024, the measure had a significant collateral impact on those who rely on these platforms to communicate, as evidenced by the 800% surge in free sign-ups on ProtonVPN overnight.”
Some users are even giving tutorials online, showing users how to circumvent the ban.
This is a common tactic used by netizens who want to retain banned features. A similar thing happened in Brazil when age verification was first introduced.
Lawmakers quietly introduce VPN law
Brazilian lawmakers plan to penalize the “use of a proxy modulator or a technique for masking, concealing, falsifying, altering, or anonymizing an IP address, or any other digital identifier,” according to the Federal Senate bill.
The bill adds that doing this by “means of software, a program, a tool, a browser, or any other method – with the aim of preventing or hindering their identification” could face federal punishment.
This means that anyone using a VPN to circumvent bans could potentially face between 1 and 3 years in prison and a fine.
Initially, Brazilian lawmakers approved prison time for anyone developing or providing VPN services.
That’s until the document was amended, according to Brazilian technology expert Thiago Ayub, who has been following the developments.
That said, anyone using a VPN for legitimate purposes like “digital privacy and security,” particularly in a professional setting, will not be punished, as per the bill, which Cybernews machine-translated.
